Summary
Laurie George Wallis (10 September 1922 – 10 January 1984) was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983, representing the regional South Australian seat of Grey.
Laurie Wallis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Grey | |
| In office 25 October 1969 – 4 February 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Don Jessop |
| Succeeded by | Lloyd O'Neil |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 September 1922 Thornleigh, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 10 January 1984 (aged 61) Port Augusta, South Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
Wallis was born at Thornleigh in New South Wales and served in World War II from 1939 to 1941. A boilermaker by trade, he moved to South Australia to work for the Commonwealth Railways at Port Augusta in 1943. He was heavily involved in the trade union movement as secretary of the Port Augusta Combined Unions Council from 1947 to 1949 and 1959 to 1970 and secretary of the Port Augusta branch of the Boilermakers and Blacksmiths Society of Australia.[1][2][3]
He was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1969 federal election, defeating one-term Liberal MP Don Jessop in the seat of Grey, then a marginal seat centred on industrial towns in western South Australia. He was re-elected five times, with the 1977 election - at which his seat doubled in geographic size - being his closest race, won by only 65 votes after three recounts. He retired due to ill health at the 1983 election.[1][2][3][4][5]
Wallis died, aged 61, of lung cancer on 10 January 1984 in Port Augusta, South Australia.[6] The Port Augusta Airport is also known as the "Laurie Wallis Aerodrome" in his honour.[7]
References edit
- ^ a b "Biography for WALLIS, Laurie George". Australian Parliamentary Library. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ a b "DEATH OF A FORMER MEMBER AND A FORMER SENATOR". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ a b "COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA LEGISLATIVE ELECTION OF 25 OCTOBER 1969". Psephos. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "Seven elections in five years". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 November 1977. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "A tilt of just 1pc and they're gone". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 October 1980. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "IN BRIEF Former MP dies". The Canberra Times. Vol. 58, no. 17, 637. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 January 1984. p. 6. Retrieved 30 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "New airport terminal officially opened". Transcontinental. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2020.